-- Wednesday, 9/8/10 -- GIVING EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO GIVE -- Ruth 1:16-17 NIV
J.R. & Bonnie Ricks
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GIVING EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO GIVE -- Ruth 1:16-17 NIV
But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me."
Ruth had so many good qualities. She was gentle, meek, loyal, loving, humble, selfless and brave. Some have speculated that Ruth was the model for the “wife of noble character” described in Proverbs 31. Quite a character description, isn't it? Wouldn't we all love to be described in such glowing terms? And she loved Naomi. She loved her so much that she was willing to give up everything for her. Ruth gave up her homeland. She gave up the opportunity to go back to her family, and most assuredly be married again (or so she thought). She gave up everything familiar in order to stay with Naomi and provide for her. She knew Naomi was in a desperate situation, with very little hope of any future other than one of poverty, possibly even begging in the streets. Naomi was past childbearing age, so she was undesirable as a wife. As far as Ruth knew, by going to Bethlehem with Naomi, she was giving herself the same life sentence.
But Ruth was willing to give it all up for the love of her friend. How often do you and I give everything we have to give? Are we willing to do that for anyone? Most of us aren't even willing to give up a few hours of our time, much less all of it. Today, many women are refusing to give up their last names when they marry or to give up their careers for their children. This is not intended to discredit those women who must work in order to make ends meet. That is a different situation entirely. And we’re not talking about women who work, but still put their families first. After all, the “wife of noble character” in Proverbs 31 not only worked… she owned her own business! Instead, we’re talking about those women who place their careers and "personal development" above children… above husbands… above everything. Then there are the men who seldom see their children awake, much less spend time with them… and the parents who can't give up their bridge night, or their time in front of the television, or their charity work – or even their church work - just to play games with their children, or to talk. Beyond all that, how many of us are willing to give of our time ministering to our friends, much less to the uneducated or the poor or the sick?
Ruth demonstrated perfect, sacrificial love for Naomi… just like Jesus demonstrated perfect, sacrificial love for you and for me. Ruth gave everything she had to give for Naomi. Jesus gave everything He had to give for you and me. These are our role models. These are the ones we are to emulate. How much are you willing to give? Think about it.
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